The 101 Scariest Horror Movie Moments of All Time

This was a show that went to Shudder and I believe showed on AMC in October of 2022. At least, that is my understanding. What we're getting here is an updated version of what was shown on Bravo back when I was in college. There are updated movies from that one, which was called The 100 Scariest Movie Moments from 2004. This one also features different voices from critics, historians, actors and filmmakers.

There is a lot to go through so I won't. We have 101 movies covered here. The ranking of them is subjective in my opinion. I will say though, the top ten is spot on for what they're looking at. I did see someone else review this and say that there are cheats here. The talking heads will talk about the movie instead of a scene or sequence. I agree and, it is what is it. There are a couple movies that I also think were left off and ones that were included that I don't necessarily agree with. No major issue there though either.

What is impressive is the list of people that were included. We have legends like Greg Nicotero, Joe Dante, Tom Savini, Tony Todd, Keith David, Mick Garris and Tom Holland. There are also current filmmakers/actors like Alexandra Essoe, Gigi Saul Guerrero, Fede Alvarez, Edgar Wright, Brea Grant, Mike Flanagan, Kate Siegel and David Dastmalchain. We also get people who know what they're talking about like Tananarive Due, Heidi Honeycutt, Rebekah McKendry, Nathaniel Thompson, Todd Kushigemachi, Amanda Reyes and Lea Anderson. Again, this isn't everyone as there are a lot of people here who are interviewed.

Something that I put a feather in my cap about is that I've seen every movie referenced here. There are television shows that are on my list to check out that are the only blind spots. That feels good as a horror fanatic to know exactly what they're referring to for most every selection. This is hard to recommend if you're new to the genre. This gives you a great list of movies to check out, but it does contain spoilers as well, so keep that in mind. I'd highly recommend it if you're looking out eliminate blind spots before diving deeper.

My Rating: 8 out of 10.

This series, or any series that purports to review productions of this type, is filled with bogus opinions and conclusions. People who participate in the production, writing, directing, etc., of these types of films are selling "snake oil". Films of this genre are not special because of the content they exhibit. Some of these films are good, some are not. But anyone who assigns special qualities to these films in particular moments and describing them as terrific plots or acting, or directing is selling hypocrisy, among other questionable traits. These films are famous for one or two reasons: They are gross and they make money. The acting and the plot are inconsequential. They show blood, guts, horrific special effects and women with cute bodies and that's all; these qualities do not make them special in their impact on the audience. What about a hypothetical movie titled, "Vomitus"? Extraterrestrials land on Earth and spread a virus that causes people to vomit endlessly. They can't stop. They vomit until their stomachs are empty, then vomit their internal organs, then die. How's that for a scary plot? Would such a film be described as a terrific work of art? Would critics be thrilled to see the production value put into such a film? How about another hypothetical film titled, "Fecalmania"? Extraterrestrials land on Earth and spread a virus that causes people to relieve themselves non-stop until they die from losing their internal organs. Would the critics applaud the special effects and the acting in such a film? Of course they would. This is the horror genre at its next level. This is pushing the envelope. This is exploring the next dimension in storytelling. Critics would love the plot and acting in "Vomitus" and "Fecalmania". This is where the horror genre is headed. Won't audiences love the movie? The excitement, the fear, the tension, the vomit and the feces and the stench? Won't people line up to see the movies? Maybe even a second time. The acting would be superb! The plot would be superb! Wouldn't you want to see it, maybe twice? Imagine the endless scenes of people vomiting or people defecating. This is "Night of the Living Dead", only better, right? Of course! And how about the sequels? People who are forced to eat their own or someone else's vomit or feces! WOW! What a breakthrough! How soon can we see the them? Well, that's too long!

I went in expecting this to play like the old "100 Scariest Movie Moments" I saw on YouTube, but this is different. The commentary goes a lot deeper, with directors like Edgar Wright and Fede Alvarez and film scholars (mostly very smart women) giving some great analysis of how successful horror scenes are constructed. There's also a lot of cross-referencing to other films, some in the genre and some not, and some of the connections are surprising. (For example, Wright compares a scary practical effect from the po-faced film The Witch to the Hammer camp classic Captain Kronos, Vampire Hunter. Wright also gives the funniest breakdown of Hellraiser I have ever heard.) The list is very eclectic and I get the feeling the ratings aren't meant to be taken seriously, which is fine because what scares people is so different from person to person -- my mother was terrified by Jaws and I'm kinda, yeah, I guess so? -- but I thought Sinister was scary and she thought it was "formulaic" and the monster was "uninspired," so there you have it. The numbering is probably a gimmick to get you watching, but I guess it worked because I am watching and liking it. 101 clips from horror films, some that I like and some I don't like, but the pace is fast so it doesn't take long to get to the next one. Good guests, good gender balance, really well-made. Perfect for Halloween. Love it.

101 SHMOAT follows the well-worn VH1 formula of a whole lot of clips and a few talking heads. Occasionally, we're treated to people involved in making the films being showcased, and they always have something interesting to say. More often, we get to listen to people without much in the way of qualification, who want to tell us that Last House on the Left is somehow a moving work of art rather than classic exploitation, or that "it was all a dream" is something to love rather than lazy writing. But hey, Joe Bob Briggs is always awesome.

Films showcased are well curated. There don't seem to be any paid promotions here, and we're talking about a time period spanning Nostradamus to, I dunno, Autopsy of Jane Doe. While I wasn't a fan of every film featured, I know that tastes vary greatly *especially* within this genre, and films typically deserved their place on this list.

While we listen to the talking heads, we get to see good clips of good films, and there's nothing wrong with that. Sometimes, I was reminded of the greatness of a film I loved long ago, to which I hadn't devoted enough recent thought. A few times, I was introduced to a film I hadn't even heard of, and took a mental note to give it a watch.

If your well of horror is running dry, you'd probably get more out of this than on taking a chance on some cast-review-bombed Amazon Prime crapola. And, who knows, you might even discover a few gems.

There is one warning which may be very important to some people: the films are *thoroughly* spoiled in discussion. Personally, especially having seen most of these films, I think that's a wise choice; you really can't say much about a film without accepting spoilage, and I don't find that being spoiled makes me enjoy great films any less. But for those who care about spoilers, and haven't seen many of these films, you might want to take a pass on this series.

Overall, I thought it was a really good list. I enjoyed watching the commentators whether it was a fellow actor, director, or film critic give their take on the movies. Just like with Eli Roth's History of Horror, the series will show small clips of other films while commenting on another film. I didn't care where on the list some of the movies or moments made it, it was just fun to watch. And you get introduced to films that you haven't seen before. And for me, I was reminded of old films that I had forgotten about. I started adding the films that they highlighted to my watch list. I recommend it.